2008…has been…a rough year. Well, maybe just for me, but I am willing to bet others can say the same. I’ve had this mentality for a while that I just can’t wait to waive goodbye to this rotten year. This morning, however, I got hit in the head by a lightning bolt from God (not literally…but you know). I have been reading through the letters of Paul for my quiet times and instead of starting a new book this morning (as I finished 1 Thessalonians yesterday) I decided to find something in the Red Letters.
Matthew 6:25-34 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I definitely needed to hear that this morning. 2008 has been a year of great adversity in my life, but you know what? 2008 has also been a year of GREATER triumph for me. I had fallen into a funk in my life…emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I became…well…boring. Through a time of hardship I was blessed with an opportunity to spend some Father(God)/son time in the mountains of Colorado. I emerged from that trip a different man. The Lord began to heal the broken things inside of me. It has taken time, but I have witnessed a miracle in my life. My Abba Father, my Daddy has shifted the paradigm. He brought me to a place of restoration with Him. Emotionally, physically, and most importantly spiritually I have changed. With the changes that He has made in my life, why then should I sit and worry about tomorrow? The Lord provided for me in the mountains, He’s provided for me in the valleys, and I trust He will continue to provide for me in the in-betweens.
It hasn’t been easy and the troubles I have faced haven’t come without their fair share of tears being shed, but God has proven time and again that He will provide. All I have needed to do was to rest in Him. If that isn’t proof enough of what God has been trying to tell me, then I submit to you one other example. This morning on the radio as I was nearing work a song came on. The name of the song is “Blessed Be Your Name” by Tree63. I want you to read part of the lyrics and maybe you can see what I see…
Blessed be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out, I
turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Oh, There's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out, I
turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Well Blessed be Your name
Blessed be His name. He gives and takes away, but my heart will choose to say blessed be Your name. So yeah, it HAS been a rough year…not particularly one I will want to relive, but with the right attitude I can press forward. God is calling me; He’s calling all of us to live in Him. If other’s around us do not, cannot, or will not…that’s not up to us…that’s on them and the Lord will deal with them accordingly. For me I don’t want to sit back and whine about how much trouble I have seen.
I want to usher in 2009 on a good note. The Lord has given and He has taken away, but you know what? I know that the end result is far better than what I can see. God sees the finish line; I can barely see three feet in front of me. Praise the Lord for that. 2009 is coming and I am ready for it, but I refuse to look back on 2008 with contempt. It was a hard year, but the Lord did a mighty work in me and for that I will not be bitter about 2008. Praise the Lord for 2008 and the adversity faced. It has shaped me into the man I am today and I am better for it. So for you, I challenge each one of you to look at your hardships and look for God in it. God is there...He's never abandonded you or forsaken you. Let go of the bitterness and let God do a work in you. God bless you all and much love to everyone. Happy 2009!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Shack
So I thought I would take some time to do a little book review with some talking points about this wonderful treasure of a book called “The Shack.” It was a present from my sister this Christmas. After sitting down and reading it in a span of a few hours I may just say it is the best Christmas present I have received in years. The book was so moving and so touching that quite a few of the pages in my book have tear stains. Never in my years have I read a book quite like it. I can promise you this, if you go into the book with an open mind, knowing that it is fiction, yet still backed by Biblical principles, it will change your life.
“The Shack” is about a man who lost his daughter in a tragic murder. Years later he receives a note in the mail inviting him back to the place of his deepest, darkest sorrows. The letter appears to be from God. Mack wrestles with the idea of whether or not to go back. Of course he decides to go to the shack and there is where it gets interesting. He has a chance encounter with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In the span of a weekend Mack’s life changes and he is able to release what has been holding onto him. He releases the hatred of the man who murdered his daughter, he is able to finally forgive himself, and finally is able to forgive God. The book, while no one can truly know how a weekend with God might play out, brings a good lesson to the table. If you are looking for a book that is quote after quote of Scripture, this isn’t the book for you, but if you are looking for a book that will challenge you to the very core of who you are, how you view others, and how you view God…then this IS the book for you.
Many of us have not had to endure what the main character of this book had to endure, but I can say without a doubt that we all carry wounds. We all have a “Great Sadness” in our lives. It is something we don’t like to talk about. Maybe we are in the midst of the “Great Sadness” or maybe we have tried to push it deep down inside so we can pretend to have a normal life. Well, let me tell you, unless it is dealt with it will never go away. One of the lessons I took from this book is that sin happens in this world and that’s why bad things happen to good people. It isn’t God sitting upon His throne, punishing his children. It is God allowing for His children to make decisions and from those decisions good and bad consequences come. Now just because you have a wound, that doesn’t mean it’s of your own doing. God gives all people free will and you may be unfortunate enough to suffer a wound at the hands of someone else’s bad decision.
All this, however, doesn’t mean that you should sit back and sulk. God’s purpose for us is to life FULL lives. As long as we hang onto the shadows in our lives…we will not live full lives. And that is the big challenge. How do we go from the shadow to the light? Well, we let go and lay it before God. God truly does love us. And “The Shack” does a wonderful job of illustrating that. I can’t even begin to describe just how much He loves us. It’s hard to put into words, but what I can say is that He loves us so much He endured the Cross for us. He wants nothing more for us than to live in the freedom that comes from the Blood of Christ. And that really is the main point of the book. Really, it is the main point of the Bible. It isn’t about rules, it is about relationships. I fully believe that if we as Christians focused more on building relationships (aka bridges) instead of rules (aka walls) we’d see the amount of wounded Christians decrease.
I know that in my own life, if I had focused on relationships…I wouldn’t be in the midst of my own “Great Sadness.” But the clincher for me is that I have the ability to let go of my “Great Sadness” and live a full life. My prayer is that it does in fact happen. Hearts will need to be changed, paradigms must be shifted, and perceptions must be checked for change to happen. The author states it like this: “Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions. Most emotions are responses to perceptions - what you think about a given situation. If your perception is false, then your emotional response to it will be false, too.” How many times have we let our emotions get the best of us? This to me is what keeps us in the darkness. Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Even in the Book of Acts we are shown that we must examine our faith and the Scriptures. May we not sit back and trust our emotions and what we “know” to be “true.” Instead may we each day examine our hearts and rid ourselves of the cancers that will constantly keep us from growing in the Lord.
Overall the book delivers a good message. I would encourage all who read it to remember Acts 17:11 and to not be tripped up on things that seem…out of Scripture. Take the book and use it as a tool to reexamine your own life. What do you have in your life that is a wall? Knock it out so you can knock down the wall. Look to build bridges and develop relationships. God loves you, so let that love overflow.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
They are who we THOUGHT they were!
Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”
Eleanor Roosevelt once said “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” How true that is. I am not big into the self help, Stuart Smalley “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me” mentality. I think that some of that can be incredibly misleading, but there is some truth to it all. As referenced above in Proverbs 23:7, we can change our perception of things, and especially our perception of ourselves, by simply seeing ourselves how we want to be viewed.
I recently met with a very wise man who said that many people are linear in their thinking about themselves and how they relate to others. Many people have an A + B = C mentality. Now let me explain. I am “A” and my friend is “B” and my idea for how our friendship should be is “C.” What ends up happening is that my perception of “B” changes and I begin to feel they’ve let me down because I can’t attain “C.” This is not the way to think. Instead, we must become “C” in spite of “B.”
How does this relate to becoming who you “think within” yourself? Well, we have got to stop leaning on others to define us. We are in charge of our own definition…well us and God. You see; as Eleanor Roosevelt said we can’t be made to feel inferior unless we give others consent, but that is exactly what we do when we give others the power to define us. We have got to start forming a positive mindset about ourselves, with God’s help, and be the person we want to be. No one wants to be miserable, so don’t be. No one wants to be boring, so don’t be. Find definition and submit it to the Lord.
Don’t let others tell you who you are, figure that out on your own. I see far too many people who are distraught, strung out, and mean because they blame others for the way they feel. I speak on this from experience. You see I let others define me for years. I ended up becoming someone I couldn’t even face in the mirror. I didn’t like who I had become, but instead of facing the problem, I grew bitter and blamed others.
That all changed on September 6th, 2008. On that day I arrived in the mountains of Colorado a man in search of his definition. I journaled to the Lord on that day: “I feel so small and insignificant here. I’ve been surrounded by mountains, wildlife, and beautiful scenery all day. Your creation is glorious and perhaps that’s why I feel so small. Am I really created in Your image? It’s hard to fathom that You created the mountains and yet we humans are the one’s created in Your likeness. I’m blown away by that concept. The God of the universe wants to be intimate with me…wow. Lord show me Your glory.” By the end of that week, not only did God show me His glory, but He showed me who He saw me to be. I weep as I write this, but they are tears of joy.
The Lord of creation showed me, Justin, who He saw me as and who He wants me to be. I stopped being so rigid in my time. I show up late to things now…and its ok…just not too late. I started laughing more as well as made it a goal to make others laugh more. I decided to not sit around the house and do nothing. Instead I picked up running, boot camp, and general weight lifting. I lost forty-five pounds and can run three miles in about 21-22 minutes. I started investing in relationships more and looking for ways to serve instead of be served. I don’t say this to brag, but instead I say this to offer hope. I used to have a poor self image. I didn’t like the man I saw, but God opened my eyes to His truth instead of my own jaded version of the truth. I stopped trying to blame others, stopped trying to blame “B” and instead I found my definition and submitted it to the Lord.
Homer Simpson once said “everyone is stupid except me.” That’s the attitude I used to take before I realized that I need to stop worrying about others and instead need to be the man I need to be. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Words to live by my friends. Look at yourself in the mirror today. Are you unhappy? Why is that? Could it be that you aren’t fulfilling your full potential in the Lord? I’d say that’s the very problem. Stop pointing fingers and instead find your definition. God is ready and waiting to help you through your transition. Will you let Him?
Eleanor Roosevelt once said “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” How true that is. I am not big into the self help, Stuart Smalley “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me” mentality. I think that some of that can be incredibly misleading, but there is some truth to it all. As referenced above in Proverbs 23:7, we can change our perception of things, and especially our perception of ourselves, by simply seeing ourselves how we want to be viewed.
I recently met with a very wise man who said that many people are linear in their thinking about themselves and how they relate to others. Many people have an A + B = C mentality. Now let me explain. I am “A” and my friend is “B” and my idea for how our friendship should be is “C.” What ends up happening is that my perception of “B” changes and I begin to feel they’ve let me down because I can’t attain “C.” This is not the way to think. Instead, we must become “C” in spite of “B.”
How does this relate to becoming who you “think within” yourself? Well, we have got to stop leaning on others to define us. We are in charge of our own definition…well us and God. You see; as Eleanor Roosevelt said we can’t be made to feel inferior unless we give others consent, but that is exactly what we do when we give others the power to define us. We have got to start forming a positive mindset about ourselves, with God’s help, and be the person we want to be. No one wants to be miserable, so don’t be. No one wants to be boring, so don’t be. Find definition and submit it to the Lord.
Don’t let others tell you who you are, figure that out on your own. I see far too many people who are distraught, strung out, and mean because they blame others for the way they feel. I speak on this from experience. You see I let others define me for years. I ended up becoming someone I couldn’t even face in the mirror. I didn’t like who I had become, but instead of facing the problem, I grew bitter and blamed others.
That all changed on September 6th, 2008. On that day I arrived in the mountains of Colorado a man in search of his definition. I journaled to the Lord on that day: “I feel so small and insignificant here. I’ve been surrounded by mountains, wildlife, and beautiful scenery all day. Your creation is glorious and perhaps that’s why I feel so small. Am I really created in Your image? It’s hard to fathom that You created the mountains and yet we humans are the one’s created in Your likeness. I’m blown away by that concept. The God of the universe wants to be intimate with me…wow. Lord show me Your glory.” By the end of that week, not only did God show me His glory, but He showed me who He saw me to be. I weep as I write this, but they are tears of joy.
The Lord of creation showed me, Justin, who He saw me as and who He wants me to be. I stopped being so rigid in my time. I show up late to things now…and its ok…just not too late. I started laughing more as well as made it a goal to make others laugh more. I decided to not sit around the house and do nothing. Instead I picked up running, boot camp, and general weight lifting. I lost forty-five pounds and can run three miles in about 21-22 minutes. I started investing in relationships more and looking for ways to serve instead of be served. I don’t say this to brag, but instead I say this to offer hope. I used to have a poor self image. I didn’t like the man I saw, but God opened my eyes to His truth instead of my own jaded version of the truth. I stopped trying to blame others, stopped trying to blame “B” and instead I found my definition and submitted it to the Lord.
Homer Simpson once said “everyone is stupid except me.” That’s the attitude I used to take before I realized that I need to stop worrying about others and instead need to be the man I need to be. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Words to live by my friends. Look at yourself in the mirror today. Are you unhappy? Why is that? Could it be that you aren’t fulfilling your full potential in the Lord? I’d say that’s the very problem. Stop pointing fingers and instead find your definition. God is ready and waiting to help you through your transition. Will you let Him?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Down but Never Out
I want you to picture a cold, windy, wintry, December night in San Antonio. The date is December 22, 2007 and the Katy Tigers are playing for their fifth state title at the Alamodome. The Tigers start out rough, but finish in style, winning 28-7, finishing the season a perfect 16-0, and adding another trophy to their already crowded trophy case. Now flash forward eight months. It is August in Houston. The air is hot, humid, yet the crowds still flock to see their team open up football season. The 2008 Katy team had the unfortunate privilege of opening up their season against another perennial powerhouse in Houston, North Shore. It was a battle of attrition. The game went back and forth, but unfortunately for the mighty Tigers the Mustangs just outlasted them. The final was 10-6 and the Tigers quest to keep their win streak alive was over. The very next week Katy would again meet defeat, but this time the margin of defeat was greater. The Tigers left The Woodlands as recipients of a 47-0 thrashing. Things did not look good for the Tigers. Over the next few weeks the Katy Tigers reshuffled their team. Young players began to step up, all positions were up for grabs, and lo-and-behold, the Tigers started to win. Katy would finish the season 7-3 and district runner up. Not a bad regular season finish for a team that so many people counted out after starting the season 0-2.
Many thought, myself included, that this team would make it to about the second or third round of the playoffs and then make a quiet exit. It was to be expected for a team that was rebuilding. Now we flash forward from the end of the regular season to today. Katy is now in preparation to play in their second state title game in two years and their eighth trip to the finals in fifteen years. This Tiger team has blown all expectations out of the water. The Tigers have beaten their playoff opponents with an average score of 42.8 to 8.6. So why this big turnaround? Well, this is the best description I can give you. This team has proven that we should NEVER underestimate the heart of a champion. Others may talk of talent, strength of schedule, etc... but where Katy excels is the at intangibles. Heart, desire, hard work, TEAM, etc... that's what makes the Katy Tigers so darn special. It has been an honor getting to watch this team and I cannot wait to watch them put it all out on the field come Saturday. Where these young men excel is in the size of their hearts. They have the right attitude and desire to make this work.
Now of course you know I have to tie this in to some sort of talking point, right? Of course right. You see, the Tigers were down four months ago, but they were not out. We can take a lesson from these young men. When I think of this team I think of 2 Corinthians 4 which says:
“Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Did you catch it friends? You see, we are going to have momentary troubles, but Jesus is interceding on our behalf. We will win. It may take a while to achieve the success we’d like to, but we will win. Let me reiterate that, we WILL win! Let God do a work in you. Like the Tigers, who were willing to reshuffle things, who were willing to go to battle for their starting positions, who never lost heart, we need to take that same attitude. God’s desire is for us to win, but to do so we must be willing to let go of pride and adopt an attitude of humility. If you don’t believe me, look no further than the 2008 Katy Tiger football team. They are winners in my book. To win you must have the right attitude. You will face troubles, but what lies ahead is greater than your suffering. Praise the Lord and go Tigers!
Many thought, myself included, that this team would make it to about the second or third round of the playoffs and then make a quiet exit. It was to be expected for a team that was rebuilding. Now we flash forward from the end of the regular season to today. Katy is now in preparation to play in their second state title game in two years and their eighth trip to the finals in fifteen years. This Tiger team has blown all expectations out of the water. The Tigers have beaten their playoff opponents with an average score of 42.8 to 8.6. So why this big turnaround? Well, this is the best description I can give you. This team has proven that we should NEVER underestimate the heart of a champion. Others may talk of talent, strength of schedule, etc... but where Katy excels is the at intangibles. Heart, desire, hard work, TEAM, etc... that's what makes the Katy Tigers so darn special. It has been an honor getting to watch this team and I cannot wait to watch them put it all out on the field come Saturday. Where these young men excel is in the size of their hearts. They have the right attitude and desire to make this work.
Now of course you know I have to tie this in to some sort of talking point, right? Of course right. You see, the Tigers were down four months ago, but they were not out. We can take a lesson from these young men. When I think of this team I think of 2 Corinthians 4 which says:
“Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Did you catch it friends? You see, we are going to have momentary troubles, but Jesus is interceding on our behalf. We will win. It may take a while to achieve the success we’d like to, but we will win. Let me reiterate that, we WILL win! Let God do a work in you. Like the Tigers, who were willing to reshuffle things, who were willing to go to battle for their starting positions, who never lost heart, we need to take that same attitude. God’s desire is for us to win, but to do so we must be willing to let go of pride and adopt an attitude of humility. If you don’t believe me, look no further than the 2008 Katy Tiger football team. They are winners in my book. To win you must have the right attitude. You will face troubles, but what lies ahead is greater than your suffering. Praise the Lord and go Tigers!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Learning to Listen to My Own Advice…The Power of the Small Gifts
So a few days ago I wrote about small gifts actually being big blessings. What I didn’t do was listen to my own writing. This week has been a hard week on me. Nothing oppressive has come my way, nothing hard, it has just been a hard week. I watched as bitterness crept in and it affected my attitude with my coworkers, my friends, family, and myself. Today, however, I had a nice kick in the pants.
Yesterday I sat down in my room and just asked God to please help me shake this bad attitude. I was able to recognize it in myself, but for some reason wasn’t able to get rid of it myself. It wasn’t until God opened my eyes to some small blessings that I saw Him working and heard Him talking to me. As many of you know, or don’t know, I absolutely love cold weather. Snow invokes so many powerful memories in me. I remember the mountains, I remember loved ones, I remember precious moments, I remember the power of God, etc… Snow and cold weather have a powerful effect on me. So to check out the weather and see a forecast of snow in Houston…well needless to say, I saw God in that. You can laugh at it or say its no big deal, its just snow…but that’s my point. It is just snow, but yet for me, it is a very big blessing. I walked around the office today with a smile on my face. It was the smile a child had on his or her face when they are opening that prized present on Christmas morning. That was me. I was a kid at Christmas today. It was a nice reminder from God that one, I can’t shake the attitude myself and I need to rely on Him and two, He loves and thinks of me. And you know, the next small gift today may be a bit goofy to you as well, but for those who know me…I am a pumpkin fiend. I can’t get enough of the stuff. I wasn’t able to sneak away from work today for lunch so as I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, what was on the table for anyone to partake in? A big, round, scrumptious pumpkin pie. Yep, it is goofy, but totally God. God meets us at the point of our need, and what I needed was an attitude adjustment. Remember to keep your eyes and ear open every day to see those small gifts.
Small gifts are God’s way of saying “I’ve got ya.” Sometimes it is very easy to just feel alone, to feel like you’ve got to do it all on your own and then it hits you that you can’t. You see, we aren’t designed to do it on our own. Sure, we CAN try, but we fail ourselves just like others fail us. That’s where faith in Jesus comes in. He’s more than a crutch, He is my sustainer. When I try to do it on my own, well, days like I have had this week are my fruits. Sometimes we can coast and manage to do it alone, but eventually decay takes over and we watch as our kingdoms fall. Don’t believe me? Give it a try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Again, this is where Jesus comes into play. You see, we have tried our ways and they aren’t God’s ways.
Isaiah 53:4-6
“Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus paid it all. The small gift of a child turned into the huge blessing of salvation. Jesus went from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the grave, and then Jesus conquered death. He paid the price for our sins and did it knowing full and well what price He’d have to pay. Jesus loves you and He loves me. Remember that.
Yesterday I sat down in my room and just asked God to please help me shake this bad attitude. I was able to recognize it in myself, but for some reason wasn’t able to get rid of it myself. It wasn’t until God opened my eyes to some small blessings that I saw Him working and heard Him talking to me. As many of you know, or don’t know, I absolutely love cold weather. Snow invokes so many powerful memories in me. I remember the mountains, I remember loved ones, I remember precious moments, I remember the power of God, etc… Snow and cold weather have a powerful effect on me. So to check out the weather and see a forecast of snow in Houston…well needless to say, I saw God in that. You can laugh at it or say its no big deal, its just snow…but that’s my point. It is just snow, but yet for me, it is a very big blessing. I walked around the office today with a smile on my face. It was the smile a child had on his or her face when they are opening that prized present on Christmas morning. That was me. I was a kid at Christmas today. It was a nice reminder from God that one, I can’t shake the attitude myself and I need to rely on Him and two, He loves and thinks of me. And you know, the next small gift today may be a bit goofy to you as well, but for those who know me…I am a pumpkin fiend. I can’t get enough of the stuff. I wasn’t able to sneak away from work today for lunch so as I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, what was on the table for anyone to partake in? A big, round, scrumptious pumpkin pie. Yep, it is goofy, but totally God. God meets us at the point of our need, and what I needed was an attitude adjustment. Remember to keep your eyes and ear open every day to see those small gifts.
Small gifts are God’s way of saying “I’ve got ya.” Sometimes it is very easy to just feel alone, to feel like you’ve got to do it all on your own and then it hits you that you can’t. You see, we aren’t designed to do it on our own. Sure, we CAN try, but we fail ourselves just like others fail us. That’s where faith in Jesus comes in. He’s more than a crutch, He is my sustainer. When I try to do it on my own, well, days like I have had this week are my fruits. Sometimes we can coast and manage to do it alone, but eventually decay takes over and we watch as our kingdoms fall. Don’t believe me? Give it a try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Again, this is where Jesus comes into play. You see, we have tried our ways and they aren’t God’s ways.
Isaiah 53:4-6
“Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus paid it all. The small gift of a child turned into the huge blessing of salvation. Jesus went from the manger to the cross, from the cross to the grave, and then Jesus conquered death. He paid the price for our sins and did it knowing full and well what price He’d have to pay. Jesus loves you and He loves me. Remember that.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Small gifts…big blessings
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the biggest blessings come in small sizes? Sometimes the biggest blessings, the biggest joys in our lives come in small packages. Looking back over my life I see so many joyful moments that were ushered in by small sized gifts. I think that’s really how God works. I am not saying He doesn’t give us huge miracles, but I think God is in the details. Throughout the Bible you see evidence of the big and little gifts, but what I notice is that, while the people in the Bible rejoice at the big miracles, they quickly forget them.
It’s the small, yet steady, gifts that bring the people the greater and longer lasting joy. Why is that, I wonder? I think that is one of the reasons Jesus did not send down angels to destroy the people who were crucifying him. They mocked him and taunted him. Matthew 27:41-43 “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'”" Sure, Jesus could have made a huge scene and come down off the cross in all his glory. The angels could have come down and taken care of business. Why didn’t they? Well, I think it’s because of the history of God’s big blessings. The Lord guided the Israelites through the wilderness, he performed great miracles in their sights and yet they forgot them. Jesus had to die. He had to go out the way he did. If not, we’d never have victory over death. The Lord knew how incapable we are to remember the big gifts. If all we had in life were big gifts to hold on to, I believe we’d be in trouble. Notice how Jesus came into the world. He didn’t arrive on a huge flaming cloud from heaven; he came meek and mild as a baby. If that isn’t a small gift that turned into a huge blessing…I don’t know what is. Praise the Lord for small packages, for they turn into the greatest blessings we can receive.
I believe that relationships and/or friendships fall into the category of small yet steady gifts from God. Not that I am trivializing any relationships out there by saying they are a small gift, I am just trying to compare the gift of a friend to let’s say fire from heaven. Sure, the fire coming down from heaven is a huge deal, but what long lasting impact would it have on you? I think the longer lasting impact for us comes through that sturdy friendship. Those good relationships make us better. We have accountability and stability. And being around the right person can make all the difference. You know those types of people, right? The people who can make a rainy day become bright? We all love being around those people. They draw us closer to God and they are joys to be around. I can think of a few people who fit into that category in my life. My wife is one of those people. Those who know her know what a sweet, peaceful, and beautiful disposition she has. I want to be a better man when I am around her and I now realize that I must go to the Lord about that. Because of the relationship I have with her, I am drawn closer to God. Another small package I received six years ago was the gift of my niece. Today, December 4th, is her sixth birthday. I can’t believe it. I remember what I was doing when I received the phone call that little Hailey was born. I couldn’t contain myself…I wept as I walked to class that morning. Such a tiny baby, but such a great joy. I have had the privilege of getting to watch her grow over the years.
And how about those tiny blessings throughout the day? Yesterday I had my patience tested and I passed the test. It was a huge blessing for me. I didn’t react the way I normally do and by the end of the day, the Lord took care of it. I know that many of you can attest to that. That tiny, little blessing helped me to see that God truly is on His throne and He has things in order. He doesn’t need my meddling. What He needs is for me to be faithful to Him. So, even though Thanksgiving has passed, it isn’t too late or too early to be thankful. Be thankful for the tiny gifts in life. God gives us the small gifts and if we are truly thankful for them, if we are truly faithful in the tiny blessings of life, I believe this is His response to us: Matthew 25:21 “"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'” This is the way I see small gifts…they turn into huge blessings. The Lord wants us to be faithful with the small things in life. Through that we reap the great rewards. Be faithful in the small things.
It’s the small, yet steady, gifts that bring the people the greater and longer lasting joy. Why is that, I wonder? I think that is one of the reasons Jesus did not send down angels to destroy the people who were crucifying him. They mocked him and taunted him. Matthew 27:41-43 “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'”" Sure, Jesus could have made a huge scene and come down off the cross in all his glory. The angels could have come down and taken care of business. Why didn’t they? Well, I think it’s because of the history of God’s big blessings. The Lord guided the Israelites through the wilderness, he performed great miracles in their sights and yet they forgot them. Jesus had to die. He had to go out the way he did. If not, we’d never have victory over death. The Lord knew how incapable we are to remember the big gifts. If all we had in life were big gifts to hold on to, I believe we’d be in trouble. Notice how Jesus came into the world. He didn’t arrive on a huge flaming cloud from heaven; he came meek and mild as a baby. If that isn’t a small gift that turned into a huge blessing…I don’t know what is. Praise the Lord for small packages, for they turn into the greatest blessings we can receive.
I believe that relationships and/or friendships fall into the category of small yet steady gifts from God. Not that I am trivializing any relationships out there by saying they are a small gift, I am just trying to compare the gift of a friend to let’s say fire from heaven. Sure, the fire coming down from heaven is a huge deal, but what long lasting impact would it have on you? I think the longer lasting impact for us comes through that sturdy friendship. Those good relationships make us better. We have accountability and stability. And being around the right person can make all the difference. You know those types of people, right? The people who can make a rainy day become bright? We all love being around those people. They draw us closer to God and they are joys to be around. I can think of a few people who fit into that category in my life. My wife is one of those people. Those who know her know what a sweet, peaceful, and beautiful disposition she has. I want to be a better man when I am around her and I now realize that I must go to the Lord about that. Because of the relationship I have with her, I am drawn closer to God. Another small package I received six years ago was the gift of my niece. Today, December 4th, is her sixth birthday. I can’t believe it. I remember what I was doing when I received the phone call that little Hailey was born. I couldn’t contain myself…I wept as I walked to class that morning. Such a tiny baby, but such a great joy. I have had the privilege of getting to watch her grow over the years.
And how about those tiny blessings throughout the day? Yesterday I had my patience tested and I passed the test. It was a huge blessing for me. I didn’t react the way I normally do and by the end of the day, the Lord took care of it. I know that many of you can attest to that. That tiny, little blessing helped me to see that God truly is on His throne and He has things in order. He doesn’t need my meddling. What He needs is for me to be faithful to Him. So, even though Thanksgiving has passed, it isn’t too late or too early to be thankful. Be thankful for the tiny gifts in life. God gives us the small gifts and if we are truly thankful for them, if we are truly faithful in the tiny blessings of life, I believe this is His response to us: Matthew 25:21 “"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'” This is the way I see small gifts…they turn into huge blessings. The Lord wants us to be faithful with the small things in life. Through that we reap the great rewards. Be faithful in the small things.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Having a Samwise Attitude in the Storms of Life
So I was watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy this past weekend and this dialogue stuck out at me. I have to admit that it has passed me by the other two dozen times I have seen this movie (and trilogy), but this time around it hit me. Maybe it has to do with where I am in my life, maybe I was paying more attention, or maybe I am just more aware of things like this now. Here is the dialogue:
Frodo: “I can’t do this, Sam.”
Sam: “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights, we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered, full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing — this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you…that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand…I know now. Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going…because they were holding on to something.”
Frodo: “What are we holding on to, Sam?”
Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Profound, no? Sam had the right attitude about the journey. Frodo was very fortunate to have someone like him cheering him on.
Sometimes life comes at you hard. The enemy is lurking, waiting for a chance to trip you up, to make you stumble. The intent of the enemy is to throw your life, my life, and all lives out of balance. It is important, at all times but especially when encountering the storms of life, to have the proper perspective. There is some deep theology in Sam’s little speech. I believe that God’s desire is that we take an outlook similar to Sam. James 1:2-4 reads like this: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” If that isn’t proof enough, let’s examine 1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Sometimes we believe that we just can’t continue on anymore. The trials that we go through are too much to bear. And, in a way, that’s right. We can’t go through these trials…alone. We must look to the Body of Christ to aid us in our journey. Frodo could have never made it through his journey without Sam. In fact, if you know the story, without Sam, Frodo would have indeed failed. From this I see that we must hold onto our faith in troubled times. In addition, we must reach out to other believers for help. The phrase “iron sharpening iron” is very important to remember. The enemy wants to cut us off and isolate us. In battle, the smart strategist will look to break apart the opposing army. It is much easier to defeat the opponent when they are scattered, confused, and cut off from the main group. The enemy will attack us and try to cut us off from the Body of Christ. I say that you cannot allow this to happen. I have seen this in my own personal walk. When encountering troubled times, the enemy comes at me and attempts to cut me off from wise counsel. Now the enemy will always allow unwise counsel, but when it comes to “iron sharpening iron” well, it becomes a tad more difficult. The best battle plan is to praise God in the midst of the storms of life. The waves may come crashing against you, but we stand upon the solid foundation of Jesus. Hold on to Christ, dear brothers and sisters. In addition, connect with the Body of Christ. Don’t go at it alone. If you do, you will give the devil a foothold. What does God say about this? Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” When going through the storms of life cling to the Rock and surround yourself with wise counsel. God will deliver you in the proper time.
So looking at it, Sam had it right. As Christians, we hold on to hope. While we encounter storms in life, while dark days may approach we must that hope is worth fighting for. Don’t give up and don’t give the enemy a foothold. Persevere in the Lord and the dark storms will pass while a new day dawns.
Frodo: “I can’t do this, Sam.”
Sam: “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights, we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered, full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing — this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you…that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand…I know now. Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going…because they were holding on to something.”
Frodo: “What are we holding on to, Sam?”
Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Profound, no? Sam had the right attitude about the journey. Frodo was very fortunate to have someone like him cheering him on.
Sometimes life comes at you hard. The enemy is lurking, waiting for a chance to trip you up, to make you stumble. The intent of the enemy is to throw your life, my life, and all lives out of balance. It is important, at all times but especially when encountering the storms of life, to have the proper perspective. There is some deep theology in Sam’s little speech. I believe that God’s desire is that we take an outlook similar to Sam. James 1:2-4 reads like this: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” If that isn’t proof enough, let’s examine 1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Sometimes we believe that we just can’t continue on anymore. The trials that we go through are too much to bear. And, in a way, that’s right. We can’t go through these trials…alone. We must look to the Body of Christ to aid us in our journey. Frodo could have never made it through his journey without Sam. In fact, if you know the story, without Sam, Frodo would have indeed failed. From this I see that we must hold onto our faith in troubled times. In addition, we must reach out to other believers for help. The phrase “iron sharpening iron” is very important to remember. The enemy wants to cut us off and isolate us. In battle, the smart strategist will look to break apart the opposing army. It is much easier to defeat the opponent when they are scattered, confused, and cut off from the main group. The enemy will attack us and try to cut us off from the Body of Christ. I say that you cannot allow this to happen. I have seen this in my own personal walk. When encountering troubled times, the enemy comes at me and attempts to cut me off from wise counsel. Now the enemy will always allow unwise counsel, but when it comes to “iron sharpening iron” well, it becomes a tad more difficult. The best battle plan is to praise God in the midst of the storms of life. The waves may come crashing against you, but we stand upon the solid foundation of Jesus. Hold on to Christ, dear brothers and sisters. In addition, connect with the Body of Christ. Don’t go at it alone. If you do, you will give the devil a foothold. What does God say about this? Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” When going through the storms of life cling to the Rock and surround yourself with wise counsel. God will deliver you in the proper time.
So looking at it, Sam had it right. As Christians, we hold on to hope. While we encounter storms in life, while dark days may approach we must that hope is worth fighting for. Don’t give up and don’t give the enemy a foothold. Persevere in the Lord and the dark storms will pass while a new day dawns.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Those Nights
Are you going through a tough time in your life? Is a dear realtionship under attack? Most likely. Satan is on the move, he is on the attack. His number one desire for Christians is that there would be chaos in relationships. Be strong and stand firm. Know God's Word and hold on to it. Put on the full armor of God...the belt of truth...the breastplate of righteousness...your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel...the shield of faith...the helmet of salvation...and the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. Hold tight dear brothers and sisters. Don't be discouraged. I ask that you would pray for me and if anyone needs prayer...I am here for you as well. Let this song be an encouragement to those who need it.
Those Nights by Skillet
I remember when
We used to laugh
About nothing at all.
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through.
Forget 'em all.
Cause on those nights, we would stand and never fall!
Together, we faced it all.
Remember when we'd...
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
I remember when
We used to drive
Anywhere but here,
As long as we'd forget our lives.
We were so young and confused that we didn't know
To laugh or cry!
Those nights were ours,
They will live and never die.
Together, we'd stand forever.
Remember when we'd...
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
[ Skillet Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Those nights belong to us.
There's nothing wrong with us!
Those nights belong to us...
I remember when
We used to laugh...
And now I wish those nights would last.
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive!
Those nights belong to us!
There's nothing wrong...
Those Nights by Skillet
I remember when
We used to laugh
About nothing at all.
It was better than going mad
From trying to solve all the problems we're going through.
Forget 'em all.
Cause on those nights, we would stand and never fall!
Together, we faced it all.
Remember when we'd...
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
I remember when
We used to drive
Anywhere but here,
As long as we'd forget our lives.
We were so young and confused that we didn't know
To laugh or cry!
Those nights were ours,
They will live and never die.
Together, we'd stand forever.
Remember when we'd...
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
[ Skillet Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Those nights belong to us.
There's nothing wrong with us!
Those nights belong to us...
I remember when
We used to laugh...
And now I wish those nights would last.
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the t.v. light.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive.
We'd listen to the radio play all night;
Didn't want to go home to another fight.
Through all the hard times in my life,
Those nights kept me alive!
Those nights belong to us!
There's nothing wrong...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Going Through the Motions?
Going through the motions? We’ve all been there. Some days I wake up and just can’t shake the fog of the morning. I feel like the whole day is a waste because all I have managed to do is go through the motions. Heck, how many of you have driven from one place to the other and upon arrival, you just can’t remember how you got there? Come on, admit it. It’s happened to you at least once. Or how about when tragedy strikes and it takes everything you’ve got to pull yourself together. You are just going through the motions, but really it’s all just a blur because your heart and your head are somewhere else. And that’s just basically the summary of going through the motions, isn’t it? We go through the motions because are head and our heart are somewhere else. That can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing.
Going through the motions also happens in our Christian walk, and that’s a dangerous thing to do. Going through the motions is the same as checking off the boxes in our lives. Quiet time? Check! Make sure you show your face at the weekly Bible study? Check! Be seen at church on Sunday? Check check! What is it all, but a waste if your heart isn’t in it? That quiet time spent with God each day is meant to be a time where it is just you and God. It can be a time of prayer, reading, worshipping, or any combination of these. It isn’t the act, however, of having a quiet time that God wants; it’s a right heart and mind that God requires. You can go to that Bible study each week and put on your mask. No one will ever get deep with you and you will never allow people to truly reach out to you if you just go through the motions. And let me tell you, God doesn’t bless that. There’s a reason why Paul spent so much time preaching and writing about the Body of Christ as well as unity within the Body. Don’t waste your time by just showing your face at the Bible study, get real with God and get real with the other believers. Don’t go through the motions.
Even the Pharisee’s went through the motions. When it came to going to church (synagogue) they took the front row and the best seats in the house to show that they were there. Jesus blasts them in Luke 11:43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” It may seem harsh that Jesus was telling these men, these men of God (supposedly), “woe to you.” You see, God requires a right heart and He blesses that, but He is disgusted with those who simply go through the motions. Revelation 3:16 “So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” When we are going through the motions we are nothing more than lukewarm Christians. We just go through the motions, but without the right heart and mind to back it up. It might seem harsh, but I do believe that God looks at those, who are simply going through the motions, in this light.
I don’t want you to lose hope or feel condemned now. Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Understand this brothers and sisters; God doesn’t want you to go through the motions, but once you open up your heart to God and to His word you stop going through the motions. There is a passion that sweeps over you. Too many people decide that it’s too difficult to shake off the fog. Is it hard work, yes, but as my dad has told me and my Heavenly Father has shown me, ALL things that are good and honorable take hard work. There will be blood, sweat, and tears, but it is worth the sacrifice. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Set your minds on these things and stop going through the motions.
Finally, going through the motions cheats you. It cheats others on the best of you. When going through the motions you miss out on the fullness of life. My biggest fear is to get to the end of my life and I am full of regret. I don’t want to live life wondering what would be different if I had given it my all. I choose to live with a passion, with a God blessed and Biblically based passion. When it is all said and done I want to hear “Well done good and faithful one!” If I live my life just going through the motions I stand to lose everything. And as stated before what is it all, but a waste if your heart isn’t in it? Today and every day, make a conscious decision to NOT go through the motions. Live in communion with Jesus Christ. Seek out a walk in the Garden like our father Adam once did with God. You will lose it all if you go through the motions, but you will leave a legacy of joy, peace, and honor when you seek God and His will with all your heart. God’s will never goes against His word. So spend time daily in the Word and let the love of Christ wash over you.
I would like to share with you a song that I heard on the radio today. It blew me away. I believe it’s the very first time I heard it and it served as my inspiration to write this today. The name of the song is “The Motions” and it is by Matthew West.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VLJF9vaIJ_0
Here are the lyrics to this incredible song:
This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Going through the motions also happens in our Christian walk, and that’s a dangerous thing to do. Going through the motions is the same as checking off the boxes in our lives. Quiet time? Check! Make sure you show your face at the weekly Bible study? Check! Be seen at church on Sunday? Check check! What is it all, but a waste if your heart isn’t in it? That quiet time spent with God each day is meant to be a time where it is just you and God. It can be a time of prayer, reading, worshipping, or any combination of these. It isn’t the act, however, of having a quiet time that God wants; it’s a right heart and mind that God requires. You can go to that Bible study each week and put on your mask. No one will ever get deep with you and you will never allow people to truly reach out to you if you just go through the motions. And let me tell you, God doesn’t bless that. There’s a reason why Paul spent so much time preaching and writing about the Body of Christ as well as unity within the Body. Don’t waste your time by just showing your face at the Bible study, get real with God and get real with the other believers. Don’t go through the motions.
Even the Pharisee’s went through the motions. When it came to going to church (synagogue) they took the front row and the best seats in the house to show that they were there. Jesus blasts them in Luke 11:43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” It may seem harsh that Jesus was telling these men, these men of God (supposedly), “woe to you.” You see, God requires a right heart and He blesses that, but He is disgusted with those who simply go through the motions. Revelation 3:16 “So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” When we are going through the motions we are nothing more than lukewarm Christians. We just go through the motions, but without the right heart and mind to back it up. It might seem harsh, but I do believe that God looks at those, who are simply going through the motions, in this light.
I don’t want you to lose hope or feel condemned now. Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Understand this brothers and sisters; God doesn’t want you to go through the motions, but once you open up your heart to God and to His word you stop going through the motions. There is a passion that sweeps over you. Too many people decide that it’s too difficult to shake off the fog. Is it hard work, yes, but as my dad has told me and my Heavenly Father has shown me, ALL things that are good and honorable take hard work. There will be blood, sweat, and tears, but it is worth the sacrifice. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Set your minds on these things and stop going through the motions.
Finally, going through the motions cheats you. It cheats others on the best of you. When going through the motions you miss out on the fullness of life. My biggest fear is to get to the end of my life and I am full of regret. I don’t want to live life wondering what would be different if I had given it my all. I choose to live with a passion, with a God blessed and Biblically based passion. When it is all said and done I want to hear “Well done good and faithful one!” If I live my life just going through the motions I stand to lose everything. And as stated before what is it all, but a waste if your heart isn’t in it? Today and every day, make a conscious decision to NOT go through the motions. Live in communion with Jesus Christ. Seek out a walk in the Garden like our father Adam once did with God. You will lose it all if you go through the motions, but you will leave a legacy of joy, peace, and honor when you seek God and His will with all your heart. God’s will never goes against His word. So spend time daily in the Word and let the love of Christ wash over you.
I would like to share with you a song that I heard on the radio today. It blew me away. I believe it’s the very first time I heard it and it served as my inspiration to write this today. The name of the song is “The Motions” and it is by Matthew West.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VLJF9vaIJ_0
Here are the lyrics to this incredible song:
This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What Can You Give?
I month ago I had the opportunity to attend a great church in the Dallas area, Southlake to be exact. The sermon that particular morning was on stewardship. Ok, I know about half the people reading this already cringed…don’t worry…I’m not going to ask for your money. Back to the point, the sermon was done very well. It got me to thinking about the “things” in my life that I consider my own. Then a flood of answers came swooshing by…money, time, possessions, job, etc… I do in fact possess these items, but I don’t own them. God has blessed me with the money, time, possessions, and job that I have, but I do not own them. God owns them, but He has made us stewards of what is His. What does this mean for us? Well, I am glad you asked…
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus gives us an idea of what stewardship is.
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.”
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'”
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'”
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’”
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'”
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”
"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
So we now have a clear idea what the Bible says about stewardship, but how can we apply this? We need to be willing to give our time, our money, possibly our possessions, and be willing to offer our job to God. I know this may sound crazy, but bear with me. I’m not saying “Give it all up, sell it all, quit your job, and then go do God’s work.” I am saying, however, that we need to have a hear t that realizes what we have is not our own.
For me, giving money is easy, but its giving of my time that’s difficult. For you it may be different, but God wants us to have a giving heart and many times He calls you to give in the very area that is difficult for you to give in. So we have to change out heart. That’s not an easy thing to do, but when we do manage to do it God’s response is “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” Seek God out in this. It may take God breaking you and that’s ok. Rejoice in your brokenness. I think we’d all prefer to not be broken, but if that’s what it takes then that’s what God will do. He wants a cheerful giver.
Understand that when you are faithful in your giving, and you do so with the right heart, God will bless that. On top of the blessings you receive, and I am not talking about monetary blessings although it may be monetary, God will bless how we give. He takes our gift and multiplies it. That’s one of the wonderful things about God. He took seven loaves and a few small fish and fed four thousand people. God CAN take a small amount of time, money, or whatever and turn that into a huge surplus. I recently volunteered some time with the Red Cross during the Ike cleanup. My job was a rather menial task. I was to clean huge plastic containers that held food. Many of them contained the spilled remains of the lunch. As I cleaned these containers it dawned on me, sure what I was doing wasn’t great and glorious, but I was serving a purpose. On that particular day it was estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 people were served meals. Wow… When I left the Red Cross area that day I wept. I realized that even though I was “merely” a cleaner, I had a part in helping bring hope and food to people in need. I still get choked up. You see, God is bigger than our little minds can conceive. He WILL take what you give and multiply.
My challenge daily, to myself and to you, is to take what God has given and use it to bring Glory to Him. I close by writing something that touched me deeply this morning. I finished Ephesians in my quiet time and the very end of the book stuck out at me.
Ephesians 6:21-24 “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”
This particular section stuck out at me because Paul was writing this letter from prison. He was at a point where he didn’t know what was going to happen. His life may have been demanded from him right after sending this letter, but his concern was not of his life, it was encouraging the church at Ephesus and wishing them grace and peace. Paul knew what it meant to be a good steward. He was willing to lay down his life for the cause of Christ, but he realized that it wasn’t his life. God blessed him with life and Paul truly understood what it was to give. Ultimately Paul did lay down his life, but God has used that in ways that even Paul could have never imagined. So, again, my challenge to myself and to you is to bring glory to God by giving. It is all God’s anyway…
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus gives us an idea of what stewardship is.
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.”
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'”
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'”
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’”
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'”
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”
"'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
So we now have a clear idea what the Bible says about stewardship, but how can we apply this? We need to be willing to give our time, our money, possibly our possessions, and be willing to offer our job to God. I know this may sound crazy, but bear with me. I’m not saying “Give it all up, sell it all, quit your job, and then go do God’s work.” I am saying, however, that we need to have a hear t that realizes what we have is not our own.
For me, giving money is easy, but its giving of my time that’s difficult. For you it may be different, but God wants us to have a giving heart and many times He calls you to give in the very area that is difficult for you to give in. So we have to change out heart. That’s not an easy thing to do, but when we do manage to do it God’s response is “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” Seek God out in this. It may take God breaking you and that’s ok. Rejoice in your brokenness. I think we’d all prefer to not be broken, but if that’s what it takes then that’s what God will do. He wants a cheerful giver.
Understand that when you are faithful in your giving, and you do so with the right heart, God will bless that. On top of the blessings you receive, and I am not talking about monetary blessings although it may be monetary, God will bless how we give. He takes our gift and multiplies it. That’s one of the wonderful things about God. He took seven loaves and a few small fish and fed four thousand people. God CAN take a small amount of time, money, or whatever and turn that into a huge surplus. I recently volunteered some time with the Red Cross during the Ike cleanup. My job was a rather menial task. I was to clean huge plastic containers that held food. Many of them contained the spilled remains of the lunch. As I cleaned these containers it dawned on me, sure what I was doing wasn’t great and glorious, but I was serving a purpose. On that particular day it was estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 people were served meals. Wow… When I left the Red Cross area that day I wept. I realized that even though I was “merely” a cleaner, I had a part in helping bring hope and food to people in need. I still get choked up. You see, God is bigger than our little minds can conceive. He WILL take what you give and multiply.
My challenge daily, to myself and to you, is to take what God has given and use it to bring Glory to Him. I close by writing something that touched me deeply this morning. I finished Ephesians in my quiet time and the very end of the book stuck out at me.
Ephesians 6:21-24 “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”
This particular section stuck out at me because Paul was writing this letter from prison. He was at a point where he didn’t know what was going to happen. His life may have been demanded from him right after sending this letter, but his concern was not of his life, it was encouraging the church at Ephesus and wishing them grace and peace. Paul knew what it meant to be a good steward. He was willing to lay down his life for the cause of Christ, but he realized that it wasn’t his life. God blessed him with life and Paul truly understood what it was to give. Ultimately Paul did lay down his life, but God has used that in ways that even Paul could have never imagined. So, again, my challenge to myself and to you is to bring glory to God by giving. It is all God’s anyway…
Sunday, November 9, 2008
My Favorite Season
I look forward to fall every single year. Fall, to me, is the best season of all. Maybe its due to the oppressive Houston humidity and heat in the summer or maybe its the coming of all things pumpkin, but Autumn is my absolute season. I think, however, my sentiments for fall are deeper than an escape from heat or a chance to drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I believe that my love for the fall is something spiritual. You see, fall symbolizes change. It is symbolic of a time to retreat inside and prepare for the cold (unless you live in Southeast Texas) ahead. Nichole Nordeman puts is like this:
"And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn."
When I read these lyrics I can't help but get choked up. Autumn is a time for reflection and thanksgiving. Its a time to turn our thoughts inward and refocus.
This fall has been no exception. In fact, I would say this fall has been the absolute toughest I have ever encountered. I would also venture to say that if you are alive and breathing, you might be able to say the same thing. September was still a new month when Ike barreled its way into Texas. Millions of people were affected. Homes were lost and suffering abounded. A few weeks later we watched as stock markets began to plummet. Fortunes and jobs were lost...and suffering abounded. We've seen wildfires begin again and have witnessed other disasters and hardships this fall. I don't think there is a person in this country or in the world who can't say they haven't been hit hard this fall.
Even history teaches us that the fall is a hard time. In 1857 the fall brought America a stock market panic. In 1929, Wall Street crashed and the Great Depression arrived. A more recent event, September 11th, 2001 the world watched as terrorists killed 2000 men, women, and children on American soil. In 2005, on the eve of the beginning of fall, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. This hurricane was followed by Rita. Autumn has not been kind, but autumn has brought change and growth.
One could sit back and bemoan the horrible things that happen in the fall, but I have good news...God has brought some good things to us in the fall. In 1857 a revival began in response to the falling stock market. This revival reached worldwide and began what would be known as the second great awakening in America. Out of the Great Depression, a nation emerged stronger. We would not break free of the economic crisis till World War 2 brought us out of that. We managed, however to grow as a nation and become stronger because of what we had been through. The tragedies of Sept 11th, Katrina, and Rita brought out the best in us as humans. I witnessed men and women working together to rebuild, restore, and renew. People flocked to church and hearts were turned back to Jesus.
I would also like to touch on my personal experience with this fall. I have encountered some harsh blows over the last six or so months. Most of this due to my lacking relationship with Jesus. I, at one time, had a dynamic and intimate relationship with God, but over the last few years I let monotony and distraction pull me away from Him. On September 6th, 2008 I left the prairie of Katy for the mountains of Colorado. It was there that God called to me again. He broke me, cut the distractions out, and met me at the point of my need. I not only drew closer to Him, but I had an encounter with God that will NEVER allow me to go back to what I had been. Its hard to explain, but what I can say is that I saw God. I left the mountains and came back to my life with high expectations for the changes to come. Of course, God had different plans. I thought my life would be worked out with a simple snap of the fingers, but God wasn't through growing me. Over the last few months I have had to face the man in the mirror. What I saw was a failed leader, an impatient, critical, cynical man. I can say though, that God is working in those areas of my life as well. If I could say I was impatient before my trip to Colorado I would have to say that I am far from it now. That's not me being proud that I did anything, no its not me, its God who has done a work in me. In addition to all this I have had the opportunity to grow through meeting and praying with Godly men. Iron sharpening iron...nothing better. I love the accountability that comes from meeting and praying with Godly men (or for you ladies Godly women) and I definitely now see the importance of it. This is how THE CHURCH started. We are the Body of Christ and we need to work together to help each other out. Through this I find myself laughing at things now that would have driven me insane in the past. Being critical and/or cynical are a thing of the past. I choose to embrace the joy that comes from knowing Jesus. On my failed leadership, well all I can say there is that I have to be patient. I will, some day, be able to prove myself once again to be a good leader. I know what God has done in me and He knows what I am capable of. Praise the Lord for changed lives.
I love the fall. This fall, in particular, has enabled me to retreat inside. I have been able to refocus my relationship with my Savior. God has reconciled me back to Himself. I can't help but weep when I see what He has done in my life. I can't say enough how thankful I am that He changed me. I can't say enough how thankful I am this fall. While my life still has things to be worked out, this may just be the best Thanksgiving of my life. I have a ton to be thankful of and it is because of what God did and continues to do in my life.
Let me encourage all those who read this, to take advantage of this time. Don't wait. Circle the wagons and retreat inside. Refocus your life. If you are a Christian, then reconcile with God. Don't hesitate. If you don't know Jesus as your savior, then take time this very minute and give your heart and your life to the only One who is worthy. Take time this fall to be thankful for what has been and what is to come...it is autumn.
Oh, and I want you all to know that I am also thankful for the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
"And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn."
When I read these lyrics I can't help but get choked up. Autumn is a time for reflection and thanksgiving. Its a time to turn our thoughts inward and refocus.
This fall has been no exception. In fact, I would say this fall has been the absolute toughest I have ever encountered. I would also venture to say that if you are alive and breathing, you might be able to say the same thing. September was still a new month when Ike barreled its way into Texas. Millions of people were affected. Homes were lost and suffering abounded. A few weeks later we watched as stock markets began to plummet. Fortunes and jobs were lost...and suffering abounded. We've seen wildfires begin again and have witnessed other disasters and hardships this fall. I don't think there is a person in this country or in the world who can't say they haven't been hit hard this fall.
Even history teaches us that the fall is a hard time. In 1857 the fall brought America a stock market panic. In 1929, Wall Street crashed and the Great Depression arrived. A more recent event, September 11th, 2001 the world watched as terrorists killed 2000 men, women, and children on American soil. In 2005, on the eve of the beginning of fall, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. This hurricane was followed by Rita. Autumn has not been kind, but autumn has brought change and growth.
One could sit back and bemoan the horrible things that happen in the fall, but I have good news...God has brought some good things to us in the fall. In 1857 a revival began in response to the falling stock market. This revival reached worldwide and began what would be known as the second great awakening in America. Out of the Great Depression, a nation emerged stronger. We would not break free of the economic crisis till World War 2 brought us out of that. We managed, however to grow as a nation and become stronger because of what we had been through. The tragedies of Sept 11th, Katrina, and Rita brought out the best in us as humans. I witnessed men and women working together to rebuild, restore, and renew. People flocked to church and hearts were turned back to Jesus.
I would also like to touch on my personal experience with this fall. I have encountered some harsh blows over the last six or so months. Most of this due to my lacking relationship with Jesus. I, at one time, had a dynamic and intimate relationship with God, but over the last few years I let monotony and distraction pull me away from Him. On September 6th, 2008 I left the prairie of Katy for the mountains of Colorado. It was there that God called to me again. He broke me, cut the distractions out, and met me at the point of my need. I not only drew closer to Him, but I had an encounter with God that will NEVER allow me to go back to what I had been. Its hard to explain, but what I can say is that I saw God. I left the mountains and came back to my life with high expectations for the changes to come. Of course, God had different plans. I thought my life would be worked out with a simple snap of the fingers, but God wasn't through growing me. Over the last few months I have had to face the man in the mirror. What I saw was a failed leader, an impatient, critical, cynical man. I can say though, that God is working in those areas of my life as well. If I could say I was impatient before my trip to Colorado I would have to say that I am far from it now. That's not me being proud that I did anything, no its not me, its God who has done a work in me. In addition to all this I have had the opportunity to grow through meeting and praying with Godly men. Iron sharpening iron...nothing better. I love the accountability that comes from meeting and praying with Godly men (or for you ladies Godly women) and I definitely now see the importance of it. This is how THE CHURCH started. We are the Body of Christ and we need to work together to help each other out. Through this I find myself laughing at things now that would have driven me insane in the past. Being critical and/or cynical are a thing of the past. I choose to embrace the joy that comes from knowing Jesus. On my failed leadership, well all I can say there is that I have to be patient. I will, some day, be able to prove myself once again to be a good leader. I know what God has done in me and He knows what I am capable of. Praise the Lord for changed lives.
I love the fall. This fall, in particular, has enabled me to retreat inside. I have been able to refocus my relationship with my Savior. God has reconciled me back to Himself. I can't help but weep when I see what He has done in my life. I can't say enough how thankful I am that He changed me. I can't say enough how thankful I am this fall. While my life still has things to be worked out, this may just be the best Thanksgiving of my life. I have a ton to be thankful of and it is because of what God did and continues to do in my life.
Let me encourage all those who read this, to take advantage of this time. Don't wait. Circle the wagons and retreat inside. Refocus your life. If you are a Christian, then reconcile with God. Don't hesitate. If you don't know Jesus as your savior, then take time this very minute and give your heart and your life to the only One who is worthy. Take time this fall to be thankful for what has been and what is to come...it is autumn.
Oh, and I want you all to know that I am also thankful for the Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Here I Am
I have been jamming to a new song from Downhere. The song is called “Here I Am” and it is, for me, a moving song. The chorus goes like this:
“Here I am, Lord send me,
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me,
Somehow my story, Is part of your plan,
Here I am”
Those words have been on my mind since the very first time I heard this song. In fact, the phrase “Here I am…” has always been a favorite of mine. One of my absolute favorite stories from the Bible is the story of Samuel’s calling. I touched upon this in the last blog. Check out 1 Samuel 3: 1-10. Basically, we have a young boy, Samuel, who is a Nazirite (promised to be so by his mother) and is in a sort of “training” with Eli. One night Samuel begins to hear a voice calling his name. He mistakenly believes that it is Eli who is calling him. Samuel does this three times (according to Scripture) and then finally Eli realizes that it is the Lord who is calling Samuel. He instructs Samuel to “lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” The next time God calls to Samuel, Samuel replies “Speak, for your servant is listening.” I love that phrase. So does God! That should be our response to Him daily.
God’s desire for us is that we have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. To do so we cannot hide, we can’t drag our feet, and we can’t resist Him. Sure, we CAN do all these things, but we won’t reap the rewards in store for us. I am not talking monetary rewards. I am speaking about fullness in Him, a rich, long lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. That, to me, is worth more than all the riches this world has to offer. It is so hard, though, to put this into practice.
So many times I want to hide from God. It may be that I am living in sin, or possibly I am just too tired to converse with God. Maybe distractions have crept in and caused my attention to focus. Whatever it is, that isn’t what He wants from us. Too many times we think we can just go here or there and God won’t see us. New flash…God CAN see us. There is no distance too far that He can’t reach us. That’s a good thing. You see, God created us in His image. He wants to have a deep, intimate relationship with us. There is a longing there in us to connect with Him. God’s desire is to use us…to use me, to use you. Our story can be a part of His plan is we simply reply “Here I am Lord!”
I also believe that this ties into living an extraordinary life. When we make our lives an offering to the Lord, our relationship with Him grows. I won’t promise that you won’t be wounded. In fact, I will do the opposite…when you live life for God, when you live life in faithful vulnerability, you WILL be hurt. It may be someone you don’t know, but most likely it will be people close to you. Whether it’s intentional or not it will happen. Now don’t let this discourage you, but rather be encouraged by this. If you want extraordinary you have to be willing to open yourself up. You won’t achieve much if you live a guarded life with a hardened heart. Your life has to be an offering to the Lord. I think Theodore Roosevelt sums up the extraordinary life best when he says “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” If we withhold ourselves from God we will live in that “grey twilight” rather than winning the “glorious triumphs” of life.
Again, when we live our lives as offerings to the Lord, we put ourselves out there. If hurt comes, and it will, then take that hurt and give it to the Lord. If we hold onto it we will grow bitter and angry. We need to let go of that. So, let’s make our lives offerings to the Lord. Let us respond to God’s calling with a hearty “HERE I AM!”
“Here I am, Lord send me,
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me,
Somehow my story, Is part of your plan,
Here I am”
Those words have been on my mind since the very first time I heard this song. In fact, the phrase “Here I am…” has always been a favorite of mine. One of my absolute favorite stories from the Bible is the story of Samuel’s calling. I touched upon this in the last blog. Check out 1 Samuel 3: 1-10. Basically, we have a young boy, Samuel, who is a Nazirite (promised to be so by his mother) and is in a sort of “training” with Eli. One night Samuel begins to hear a voice calling his name. He mistakenly believes that it is Eli who is calling him. Samuel does this three times (according to Scripture) and then finally Eli realizes that it is the Lord who is calling Samuel. He instructs Samuel to “lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.” The next time God calls to Samuel, Samuel replies “Speak, for your servant is listening.” I love that phrase. So does God! That should be our response to Him daily.
God’s desire for us is that we have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. To do so we cannot hide, we can’t drag our feet, and we can’t resist Him. Sure, we CAN do all these things, but we won’t reap the rewards in store for us. I am not talking monetary rewards. I am speaking about fullness in Him, a rich, long lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. That, to me, is worth more than all the riches this world has to offer. It is so hard, though, to put this into practice.
So many times I want to hide from God. It may be that I am living in sin, or possibly I am just too tired to converse with God. Maybe distractions have crept in and caused my attention to focus. Whatever it is, that isn’t what He wants from us. Too many times we think we can just go here or there and God won’t see us. New flash…God CAN see us. There is no distance too far that He can’t reach us. That’s a good thing. You see, God created us in His image. He wants to have a deep, intimate relationship with us. There is a longing there in us to connect with Him. God’s desire is to use us…to use me, to use you. Our story can be a part of His plan is we simply reply “Here I am Lord!”
I also believe that this ties into living an extraordinary life. When we make our lives an offering to the Lord, our relationship with Him grows. I won’t promise that you won’t be wounded. In fact, I will do the opposite…when you live life for God, when you live life in faithful vulnerability, you WILL be hurt. It may be someone you don’t know, but most likely it will be people close to you. Whether it’s intentional or not it will happen. Now don’t let this discourage you, but rather be encouraged by this. If you want extraordinary you have to be willing to open yourself up. You won’t achieve much if you live a guarded life with a hardened heart. Your life has to be an offering to the Lord. I think Theodore Roosevelt sums up the extraordinary life best when he says “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” If we withhold ourselves from God we will live in that “grey twilight” rather than winning the “glorious triumphs” of life.
Again, when we live our lives as offerings to the Lord, we put ourselves out there. If hurt comes, and it will, then take that hurt and give it to the Lord. If we hold onto it we will grow bitter and angry. We need to let go of that. So, let’s make our lives offerings to the Lord. Let us respond to God’s calling with a hearty “HERE I AM!”
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Praying for the Extraordinary
Well, I wanted to follow up the prayer request I submitted a few days ago. I have officially put my name on the cancellation list. I definitely felt God calling me to step out of my comfort zone and to get my name on that list…never mind the usual hang-ups (ex. finances, time, work, busyness, fear, etc…). If it is God’s will for me to actually go to South Africa then a few things will happen: 1) A spot will open up for me, 2) The finances will not be an issue, 3) There will be a peace about it, and 4) Getting off that amount of time from work will not be a problem. I trust in His plan and know that if I lean on Him, not as a crutch, but as my sustainer then I will be just fine.
There is a possibility that a spot may not even open and that God’s will may not be for me to go, but I have come to realize that sometimes He just wants to know if you are ready and willing. I am reminded of a story in 1 Samuel 3.
1 Samuel 3: 1-10
“The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’
I believe the key to this story is in the final verse. “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Sometimes we are called merely to be available to listen to God. If that’s what He has planned for me in this, then awesome! I am just as excited about what He will teach me through being available and willing to hear Him as I am going to South Africa to have an encounter with Him.
One thing we must all know is that God is sovereign and is on His throne. He has a plan for you, and it’s a good plan. We must be willing to be extraordinary, to achieve great things for Him…for His glory. What is it in your life that God is trying to call attention to? Is it something you need to release? Maybe it’s a calling or perhaps God just wants to know if you are available and willing. Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to (and would also love some encouragement for myself) be willing to listen. Let go of the things that keep you from a deep meaningful relationship with God. Seek out the extraordinary. As I wrap this up I want to ask you to pray for God’s will with regard to my possible trip to South Africa. Also, by all means, if you need me to pray for you, ask. I will gladly approach the Lord on your behalf. Thank you my dear friends. I love you all and my God bless each and every one of you.
Lord I pray you soften our hearts. Help us to release the things that keep us from coming before you. Help us to lay our sins, our fears, our doubts, the things we need to give up, our wills, our lives at the altar. I pray Lord that you would open our minds to Your perfect will and help us to die to our own. Lord may we live to seek your glory even if it means stretching to the point of hurting. Help us to glorify you in our forgiveness and in the exiting of our comfort zones. We lay it all before you Lord. Thank you God for your “good, pleasing and perfect will.” Lord we just pray Romans 12:2 over our lives. In Jesus Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen.
There is a possibility that a spot may not even open and that God’s will may not be for me to go, but I have come to realize that sometimes He just wants to know if you are ready and willing. I am reminded of a story in 1 Samuel 3.
1 Samuel 3: 1-10
“The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
Again the LORD called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’
I believe the key to this story is in the final verse. “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Sometimes we are called merely to be available to listen to God. If that’s what He has planned for me in this, then awesome! I am just as excited about what He will teach me through being available and willing to hear Him as I am going to South Africa to have an encounter with Him.
One thing we must all know is that God is sovereign and is on His throne. He has a plan for you, and it’s a good plan. We must be willing to be extraordinary, to achieve great things for Him…for His glory. What is it in your life that God is trying to call attention to? Is it something you need to release? Maybe it’s a calling or perhaps God just wants to know if you are available and willing. Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to (and would also love some encouragement for myself) be willing to listen. Let go of the things that keep you from a deep meaningful relationship with God. Seek out the extraordinary. As I wrap this up I want to ask you to pray for God’s will with regard to my possible trip to South Africa. Also, by all means, if you need me to pray for you, ask. I will gladly approach the Lord on your behalf. Thank you my dear friends. I love you all and my God bless each and every one of you.
Lord I pray you soften our hearts. Help us to release the things that keep us from coming before you. Help us to lay our sins, our fears, our doubts, the things we need to give up, our wills, our lives at the altar. I pray Lord that you would open our minds to Your perfect will and help us to die to our own. Lord may we live to seek your glory even if it means stretching to the point of hurting. Help us to glorify you in our forgiveness and in the exiting of our comfort zones. We lay it all before you Lord. Thank you God for your “good, pleasing and perfect will.” Lord we just pray Romans 12:2 over our lives. In Jesus Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Seeking Prayer
I just wanted to write a little prayer request...which will probably turn into something longer...but that's ok. This prayer request is sort of tied into my last blog about living an extraordinary life. Part of living an extraordinary life is moving forward in faith. This means that you step forward without fear, without reservation, fully trusting in the Lord. Living an extraordinary life means escaping from your comfort zone and running into God's direction. As was said before, we weren't created to live mundane lives, we were created to live out loud. We were created to be bright, shining examples of Christ. I want that for my life and I want that for yours as well. My dream would be to see extraordinary lived out in the lives of all Christians. What a world we'd live in if that dream would come to fruition.
All that being said, I would like to present my prayer request. I have had placed in front of me an opportunity to be put on a cancellation list for a wilderness trip in the South African bush. This trip would place about twelve men in the wilderness of Africa, hiking about twenty or so miles. The purpose of this trip would be to discover the life that God wants us to live...to grow to be better Godly men. This trip would be physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. When this opportunity was presented, I immediately started looking for excuses, but then I heard a voice telling me "Justin...don't find excuses...get out of that comfort zone." God stopped me in my tracks and instantly the excuses all disappeared.
I am fully prepared to step out and accept this opportunity, but I would also like to ask you all to be praying for me. Pray that I would pursue this trip not for my glory but for God's glory. Also please pray that if it's His will for me to go on this trip, that the finances would be taken care of. And finally, if all this falls into place, please pray for God to do a work in me. I want to seek Him out...not just in the mountains of Colorado or the South African bush, but at all times and in all places I may be. I want God to be glorified in my actions and in my words.
So basically to wrap this up, we ARE meant to live extraordinary lives. We are not meant to just sit back and live "boring" lives. Part of the reason we seek out our comfort zone is because its something we can control. Let me tell you this...we don't need to control our lives. God is in control. We just merely need to rest on and in Him. He will make our paths evident and help us through.
All that being said, I would like to present my prayer request. I have had placed in front of me an opportunity to be put on a cancellation list for a wilderness trip in the South African bush. This trip would place about twelve men in the wilderness of Africa, hiking about twenty or so miles. The purpose of this trip would be to discover the life that God wants us to live...to grow to be better Godly men. This trip would be physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. When this opportunity was presented, I immediately started looking for excuses, but then I heard a voice telling me "Justin...don't find excuses...get out of that comfort zone." God stopped me in my tracks and instantly the excuses all disappeared.
I am fully prepared to step out and accept this opportunity, but I would also like to ask you all to be praying for me. Pray that I would pursue this trip not for my glory but for God's glory. Also please pray that if it's His will for me to go on this trip, that the finances would be taken care of. And finally, if all this falls into place, please pray for God to do a work in me. I want to seek Him out...not just in the mountains of Colorado or the South African bush, but at all times and in all places I may be. I want God to be glorified in my actions and in my words.
So basically to wrap this up, we ARE meant to live extraordinary lives. We are not meant to just sit back and live "boring" lives. Part of the reason we seek out our comfort zone is because its something we can control. Let me tell you this...we don't need to control our lives. God is in control. We just merely need to rest on and in Him. He will make our paths evident and help us through.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
So You Want Extraordinary?
I have been recently throwing around the word “extraordinary” and hearing others use it as well. So, what exactly is extraordinary and how do we achieve it? Extraordinary is something that is exceptional, a break from the normal, from the mundane. Extraordinary is living out loud! Living an extraordinary life, however, is much harder to do than it is to define. You see we have distractions, stresses and plentiful excuses… “You don’t know the pressure I am under, Justin” or “Not right now, maybe later.” We have our comfort zones and our little shells that we crawl into when life comes at us. I’m guilty of it. You are too. Let me tell you though…we aren’t meant to live mundane lives. We are created to be extraordinary.
Assuming that you are one of those who say they want extraordinary, then it’s probably a safe bet that you aren’t there yet. And doing my little math to figure things out, if you aren’t at extraordinary then you are probably somewhere between there and mundane. How do we move from mundane to extraordinary? That’s simple to explain, but much harder to do…we have to pour ourselves out. How do you do that? Well, live! Live out loud. Don’t be afraid to get hurt, don’t withhold yourself.
C.S. Lewis puts it like this “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” Basically, don’t let the mundane things in life drag you down. C.S. Lewis talks about love here, but this can be said about life in general. Love, laugh, and smile more often. Forgive those who have hurt you and show grace more often. Be passionate about life. Now let me preface this by saying be passionate within the realm of God’s law. Don’t think for a second I am saying “Hey, go out and be sinful…that’s how you can be passionate about life.” That’s not what I am saying at all. God wants us to live extraordinary lives. God’s Word agrees in Galatians 4:18 “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.”
Again, to attain extraordinary we have to pour ourselves out. We have to allow our cup to overflow. This means we have to be willing to constantly let God move through us. Let that living water flow through you. Too many times I see, myself included, Christians sitting on their hands, letting stagnation enter into their lives. God has filled us up; we have no reason to not pour that out for others. What are you good at? Is it writing? Then write for God. Perhaps you love to run, go run a marathon and do it for His glory. Are you artistic? Then paint, scrapbook, or design and do it for Him. Be extraordinary and be purposeful about what you do. Climb up those mountains, and take time to accomplish great things. Don’t sit still when you have life to live. Live it out in service for others. Volunteer, help, and serve. Be passionate about it and do it for the glory of God. Once we realize that we aren’t here to live for ourselves, it becomes much easier to achieve extraordinary.
So, do you still want extraordinary? I know I do. I live to serve and to bring glory to my Father in Heaven. He WILL be lived out in my daily walk, in the way I talk, the way I think, the way I work, the way I serve, and the way I love. You see, I don’t want the mundane, I want extraordinary.
Assuming that you are one of those who say they want extraordinary, then it’s probably a safe bet that you aren’t there yet. And doing my little math to figure things out, if you aren’t at extraordinary then you are probably somewhere between there and mundane. How do we move from mundane to extraordinary? That’s simple to explain, but much harder to do…we have to pour ourselves out. How do you do that? Well, live! Live out loud. Don’t be afraid to get hurt, don’t withhold yourself.
C.S. Lewis puts it like this “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” Basically, don’t let the mundane things in life drag you down. C.S. Lewis talks about love here, but this can be said about life in general. Love, laugh, and smile more often. Forgive those who have hurt you and show grace more often. Be passionate about life. Now let me preface this by saying be passionate within the realm of God’s law. Don’t think for a second I am saying “Hey, go out and be sinful…that’s how you can be passionate about life.” That’s not what I am saying at all. God wants us to live extraordinary lives. God’s Word agrees in Galatians 4:18 “It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.”
Again, to attain extraordinary we have to pour ourselves out. We have to allow our cup to overflow. This means we have to be willing to constantly let God move through us. Let that living water flow through you. Too many times I see, myself included, Christians sitting on their hands, letting stagnation enter into their lives. God has filled us up; we have no reason to not pour that out for others. What are you good at? Is it writing? Then write for God. Perhaps you love to run, go run a marathon and do it for His glory. Are you artistic? Then paint, scrapbook, or design and do it for Him. Be extraordinary and be purposeful about what you do. Climb up those mountains, and take time to accomplish great things. Don’t sit still when you have life to live. Live it out in service for others. Volunteer, help, and serve. Be passionate about it and do it for the glory of God. Once we realize that we aren’t here to live for ourselves, it becomes much easier to achieve extraordinary.
So, do you still want extraordinary? I know I do. I live to serve and to bring glory to my Father in Heaven. He WILL be lived out in my daily walk, in the way I talk, the way I think, the way I work, the way I serve, and the way I love. You see, I don’t want the mundane, I want extraordinary.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
God has a plan, does the enemy?
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” What an incredible verse. God has a plan for you, for me. He has a plan to prosper us and to give us hope! Praise the Lord.
I have been planning on reading “The Screwtape Letters” for the past few weeks, but I wanted to prepare myself for what I would be getting into. In thinking about the book and thinking about Jeremiah 29:11, I thought that perhaps the enemy also has a plan for you, for me. If there is such a thing as spiritual warfare going on around us, which I know there is, then the enemy would want to counter whatever God’s plans are. So this got me to thinking that maybe the enemy’s counter to Jeremiah 29:11 would look something like this: The Enemy 29:11 “For I have different plans for you,” declares satan, “plans to add to the chaos and to inflict damage upon you, plans to take away your hope and make a mess of God’s plan.”
War is all about strategy. Satan is a good strategist, its no secret. Of course we know that God is triumphant and that Jesus conquered death. We ARE free from the curse of sin! As a Christian, the enemy cannot take away my salvation, but he sure can try to inflict as much damage and pain upon me as possible. You see, since salvation is mine, the enemy must hit at me where he can.
The enemy does this in Christian lives around the globe. Pornography, divorce, anger, sarcasm, etc…enter into Christian households and rip lives apart. Satan has taken some of God’s greatest gifts, and put his own perverted twist to it. The enemy strategizes against Christians. Singles, married couples, young and old…the enemy wants to render us useless. Too many times, however, we give into the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11. We either give up, give in, or let the enemy convince us that its actually God…not the enemy, but you see, God’s will is to “prosper us” and to give us “hope and a future”. You want a simple litmus test on whether it’s the enemy or God speaking? God never goes against His Word. Sure, the enemy will twist things and confuse you, but if you know God’s Word, then the enemy’s schemes become obvious. Its not just Christians that the enemy wants to harm. Those who do not know Christ are also under attack. Satan’s greatest victory can either come from rendering a Christian useless or condemning a soul to hell.
Maybe this comes as a shock to some of you. Heck, the closer I draw to God the more obvious and shocking the enemy and the warfare around me becomes. It IS shocking to see that such a battle rages around us. Let me offer you some hope though…God will prevail! Jesus died on a cross and rose again on the third day so that you and I would not have to pay for our sins. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You see, Jesus already paid your ransom, he already paid mine. I am fully God’s and in knowing this, I refuse to let the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11 affect me. I know that there is a schemer out there, one who wants to do me harm, but there is One who is greater who wants to prosper you and me. How then will you live today?
I have been planning on reading “The Screwtape Letters” for the past few weeks, but I wanted to prepare myself for what I would be getting into. In thinking about the book and thinking about Jeremiah 29:11, I thought that perhaps the enemy also has a plan for you, for me. If there is such a thing as spiritual warfare going on around us, which I know there is, then the enemy would want to counter whatever God’s plans are. So this got me to thinking that maybe the enemy’s counter to Jeremiah 29:11 would look something like this: The Enemy 29:11 “For I have different plans for you,” declares satan, “plans to add to the chaos and to inflict damage upon you, plans to take away your hope and make a mess of God’s plan.”
War is all about strategy. Satan is a good strategist, its no secret. Of course we know that God is triumphant and that Jesus conquered death. We ARE free from the curse of sin! As a Christian, the enemy cannot take away my salvation, but he sure can try to inflict as much damage and pain upon me as possible. You see, since salvation is mine, the enemy must hit at me where he can.
The enemy does this in Christian lives around the globe. Pornography, divorce, anger, sarcasm, etc…enter into Christian households and rip lives apart. Satan has taken some of God’s greatest gifts, and put his own perverted twist to it. The enemy strategizes against Christians. Singles, married couples, young and old…the enemy wants to render us useless. Too many times, however, we give into the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11. We either give up, give in, or let the enemy convince us that its actually God…not the enemy, but you see, God’s will is to “prosper us” and to give us “hope and a future”. You want a simple litmus test on whether it’s the enemy or God speaking? God never goes against His Word. Sure, the enemy will twist things and confuse you, but if you know God’s Word, then the enemy’s schemes become obvious. Its not just Christians that the enemy wants to harm. Those who do not know Christ are also under attack. Satan’s greatest victory can either come from rendering a Christian useless or condemning a soul to hell.
Maybe this comes as a shock to some of you. Heck, the closer I draw to God the more obvious and shocking the enemy and the warfare around me becomes. It IS shocking to see that such a battle rages around us. Let me offer you some hope though…God will prevail! Jesus died on a cross and rose again on the third day so that you and I would not have to pay for our sins. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You see, Jesus already paid your ransom, he already paid mine. I am fully God’s and in knowing this, I refuse to let the enemy’s version of Jeremiah 29:11 affect me. I know that there is a schemer out there, one who wants to do me harm, but there is One who is greater who wants to prosper you and me. How then will you live today?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Forest for the Trees
I once had a dream that I was lost in a heavily wooded forest. The sun couldn't break through the dense canopy above my head. No moss grew on the trees to give me any bearing. The trees seemed to grow in all directions with no end in sight. I was utterly lost. In this dream I wandered around, almost aimlessly, searching for anything that could help me get back on the path. I wish I could tell you that this dream had a happy ending and that I reached some sort of epiphany before I woke up, but alas I wasn't able to, but that leads me to my point. In this dream I was unable to see the forest for the trees.
Unfortunately, I think we all go through this in life. No, we aren't always actually lost in a forest, but we get so bogged down in the details of life, that we don't realize we've wandered off the trail and now find ourselves in a very precarious situation. When I was in Colorado I went on a hike that required me to be on the trail by 4:30am. This particular morning was not a morning most people would want to get out of bed. The temperatures hovered between 34 and 35 degrees and there was a nice dense fog to go with the light rain. Perfect hiking conditions, right? Ha! But still, I got out of my car at the Longs Peak trailhead, fastened my headlamp on my head, bundled up, and pushed forward. The trail starts off in a nice, dense forest. Couple that with the fog and it makes for a very difficult time seeing what's in front of you. I would venture to say that I could hardly see five feet in front of me. During this hike, however, I refused to get frustrated. I constantly looked at my map, and stayed on the trail. And wouldn't you know it, as the sun was rising in the Eastern sky, I emerged the forest and the fog to clarity. I was not only above the treeline, but I was above the fog. Talk about gaining some perspective. And that's what we need to do when going through the "forests" of life. Don't lose faith, don't lose patience, don't give up. Stay on the trail and constantly look to your "map" for guidance.
There is spiritual relevance to this story as well. You see, when walking on the path of life, we must trust God enough to stay on His path. Its when we get distracted, lose focus, or maybe we think we can take a shortcut, that we get lost. Trust God and stay on His path...even if you can't see more than four feet in front of you. The next point is look to the Bible, trust in God's word. He gave us a "map" for how we are to live. Stop along the trail and take out your "map." Read it, study it, and know it. Finally, pray. Pray for God's guidance on your trail. Trust in Christ to walk along side of you. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Christ is the Word and He will light your way! Don't lose hope and don't let the stress of life cause you to wander of course. Without a doubt, He will lead you back onto the path, but not before alot of frustration on your part. Stay grounded in Him!
I write this blog, however, with a heavy heart. As for not seeing the forest for the trees...I can say that I am there at this very moment. As Paul declined to go into details about the "thorn" in his side I won't go into details except to say that I am in that forest. Right now I can't see where I am going. I know where my destination is and what the goal is, but right now...I am just trying to get back on that trail. Please pray for me to trust in Him who is infinitely powerful and can guide me through this time. I know God's will and I know His word. His word never fails and anything outside of His word...well, its sin. Please pray for softened hearts, eyes to see, and ears to hear. God bless and much love to yall!
Unfortunately, I think we all go through this in life. No, we aren't always actually lost in a forest, but we get so bogged down in the details of life, that we don't realize we've wandered off the trail and now find ourselves in a very precarious situation. When I was in Colorado I went on a hike that required me to be on the trail by 4:30am. This particular morning was not a morning most people would want to get out of bed. The temperatures hovered between 34 and 35 degrees and there was a nice dense fog to go with the light rain. Perfect hiking conditions, right? Ha! But still, I got out of my car at the Longs Peak trailhead, fastened my headlamp on my head, bundled up, and pushed forward. The trail starts off in a nice, dense forest. Couple that with the fog and it makes for a very difficult time seeing what's in front of you. I would venture to say that I could hardly see five feet in front of me. During this hike, however, I refused to get frustrated. I constantly looked at my map, and stayed on the trail. And wouldn't you know it, as the sun was rising in the Eastern sky, I emerged the forest and the fog to clarity. I was not only above the treeline, but I was above the fog. Talk about gaining some perspective. And that's what we need to do when going through the "forests" of life. Don't lose faith, don't lose patience, don't give up. Stay on the trail and constantly look to your "map" for guidance.
There is spiritual relevance to this story as well. You see, when walking on the path of life, we must trust God enough to stay on His path. Its when we get distracted, lose focus, or maybe we think we can take a shortcut, that we get lost. Trust God and stay on His path...even if you can't see more than four feet in front of you. The next point is look to the Bible, trust in God's word. He gave us a "map" for how we are to live. Stop along the trail and take out your "map." Read it, study it, and know it. Finally, pray. Pray for God's guidance on your trail. Trust in Christ to walk along side of you. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Christ is the Word and He will light your way! Don't lose hope and don't let the stress of life cause you to wander of course. Without a doubt, He will lead you back onto the path, but not before alot of frustration on your part. Stay grounded in Him!
I write this blog, however, with a heavy heart. As for not seeing the forest for the trees...I can say that I am there at this very moment. As Paul declined to go into details about the "thorn" in his side I won't go into details except to say that I am in that forest. Right now I can't see where I am going. I know where my destination is and what the goal is, but right now...I am just trying to get back on that trail. Please pray for me to trust in Him who is infinitely powerful and can guide me through this time. I know God's will and I know His word. His word never fails and anything outside of His word...well, its sin. Please pray for softened hearts, eyes to see, and ears to hear. God bless and much love to yall!
Here is what it looks like to get above the "clouds" and break out of that dense forest. Praise the Lord...in spite of what I am going through and in spite of what you are going through...getting out of that forest IS possible!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Working Out the "Core"
So I've been on a little exercise kick for the last two months and I have to say it feels great. About two months ago I decided to start running and working on my upper body, part of it in preparation for the 20+ miles of hiking (and some climbing) and the other part to get in shape. In that span of time I have seen many positive changes in my overall health. I've lost probably about twenty to thirty pounds of fat and added some muscle. Good stuff. I THOUGHT I was getting in shape...that was until I started a little boot camp. Haha. I laugh to keep from crying. Nah, not really, but wow, what an eye opening experience boot camp is. Sure, I WAS getting in better shape by running, but there is so much more to "being in shape" than being able to scoot along the pavement.
We've been working on the core...and ouch. I didn't realize just how weak my core really was. That got me thinking, how many of us think we are in shape physically, mentally, and/or spiritually and yet...we aren't? I would venture to guess that most people would say "I have room for improvement, but overall, I am in good shape mentally. (or physically, etc...)" Heck, last week I would have said the same thing about me "being in shape." See, most people are in "decent" shape, but when it comes down to the core of things, we are very weak.
It took a wilderness trip, a trip that sent me high up into the clouds, traversing steep, narrow paths, by myself, to realize just how out of shape my spiritual core had become. Its human nature to look at the surface of things and think "I have it all together" or "that person has it together." We put on masks, we put on fronts that tell people that nothing is wrong, we are "in shape" and we've got it together. Move along...nothing to see here... Wrong! We need, I need, everyone needs to take an introspective look at themselves. On the surface we may be ok, but how are we at the core of things? It isn't until we take this inward examination of ourselves that we can truly get "in shape."
Sure, working the core hurts...it drains you. You will be sore, but in the long run its worth it. You see we can hide our core from people. We can mask it and give off appearances that everything is ok. I fooled even myself when it came to my spiritual and, recently, my physical health. Sure when I came down the mountain, I was sore, but the Spirit stirred inside me. God wanted/wants to let His light shine through me. That spiritual "soreness" I felt has led to a healthier walk with God. Physically I hurt right now, but by the time this is over (and that is if I don't re-up, which I totally want to do) my core will be in much better shape than when I started. That's good news. When we work on our core, be in spiritual, physical, or mental, we need to emerge as change/transformed people. Otherwise we've somehow missed out on what we needed to accomplish. I wouldn't trade the soreness, physical or other, for anything else. I want to feel this pain because I know that a work is being done under the surface. It may be a clichéd phrase, but it stands true..."No pain, no gain."
So, my challenge to myself and to you is to strengthen the core. Take less time looking at the surface and instead look beneath the surface. Dispose of masks that you wear. The beauty that you have isn't in your mask, its in what lies beneath the surface. What needs to be "worked out" in your life? What needs to be cut out? Take the risk, dare to succeed in great ways. God's calling you to examine your life. What's at your core?
We've been working on the core...and ouch. I didn't realize just how weak my core really was. That got me thinking, how many of us think we are in shape physically, mentally, and/or spiritually and yet...we aren't? I would venture to guess that most people would say "I have room for improvement, but overall, I am in good shape mentally. (or physically, etc...)" Heck, last week I would have said the same thing about me "being in shape." See, most people are in "decent" shape, but when it comes down to the core of things, we are very weak.
It took a wilderness trip, a trip that sent me high up into the clouds, traversing steep, narrow paths, by myself, to realize just how out of shape my spiritual core had become. Its human nature to look at the surface of things and think "I have it all together" or "that person has it together." We put on masks, we put on fronts that tell people that nothing is wrong, we are "in shape" and we've got it together. Move along...nothing to see here... Wrong! We need, I need, everyone needs to take an introspective look at themselves. On the surface we may be ok, but how are we at the core of things? It isn't until we take this inward examination of ourselves that we can truly get "in shape."
Sure, working the core hurts...it drains you. You will be sore, but in the long run its worth it. You see we can hide our core from people. We can mask it and give off appearances that everything is ok. I fooled even myself when it came to my spiritual and, recently, my physical health. Sure when I came down the mountain, I was sore, but the Spirit stirred inside me. God wanted/wants to let His light shine through me. That spiritual "soreness" I felt has led to a healthier walk with God. Physically I hurt right now, but by the time this is over (and that is if I don't re-up, which I totally want to do) my core will be in much better shape than when I started. That's good news. When we work on our core, be in spiritual, physical, or mental, we need to emerge as change/transformed people. Otherwise we've somehow missed out on what we needed to accomplish. I wouldn't trade the soreness, physical or other, for anything else. I want to feel this pain because I know that a work is being done under the surface. It may be a clichéd phrase, but it stands true..."No pain, no gain."
So, my challenge to myself and to you is to strengthen the core. Take less time looking at the surface and instead look beneath the surface. Dispose of masks that you wear. The beauty that you have isn't in your mask, its in what lies beneath the surface. What needs to be "worked out" in your life? What needs to be cut out? Take the risk, dare to succeed in great ways. God's calling you to examine your life. What's at your core?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Ok, so the first REAL blog...hello world...anyone out there?
Ok, so I decided to actually make a go of it with this blog stuff. As is evident by the pictures from my recent trip to Colorado, I've seen some incredible things. But what's more incredible is what's happening beneath the surface in me....
The entire trip was life changing for me. I returned to Houston a transformed man. God took me up into the high places, revealed His truth to me, broke my heart of the things in my life that NEEDED to be shaved off, showed me His glory, and then sent me back down so that I could weather the storms. I spent the last few hours of my last full day in Colorado making plans to get back to Houston before Ike hit. Three flight changes and a few hours of being on hold with the airlines, I was ready to go.
What shocks me, or maybe I should say what caught my attention, is that (as it is with our spiritual struggles) I was heading directly from the high places into a storm. God does not intend for us to spend our lives in the "high places." No, His intention is for us to go up on the mountain top, revel in His glory, and take what we've learned and head directly into the storms or valleys in our lives. Wow, not only was God teaching me a spiritual lesson, but He also was showing me, physically showing me what it means to go from the mountain top experience to the storms of life. As Ike hit us in Houston, I sat and was at peace. I knew that NO wind that would come against me would destory me. It might spread chaos around me, but I was standing firm upon the rock!
I recently read "The Silence of Adam" and much of it focused on how God created man (men) to speak into the darkness, into the chaos. I believe its those close encounters with God that enable us to do so. Adam walked and talked with God...you can't get much more intimate than that.
So, I pray that you take from this an understanding that we are not meant to stay on that mountain (but its ok to live in the mountains :o) ) we are meant to take that experience and let the joy of the Lord overflow into all areas of our lives. We are meant to speak into the chaos. When the wind is crashing against you or you feel lost in the valley, remember your mountain top experience. Cling to the cross!
The entire trip was life changing for me. I returned to Houston a transformed man. God took me up into the high places, revealed His truth to me, broke my heart of the things in my life that NEEDED to be shaved off, showed me His glory, and then sent me back down so that I could weather the storms. I spent the last few hours of my last full day in Colorado making plans to get back to Houston before Ike hit. Three flight changes and a few hours of being on hold with the airlines, I was ready to go.
What shocks me, or maybe I should say what caught my attention, is that (as it is with our spiritual struggles) I was heading directly from the high places into a storm. God does not intend for us to spend our lives in the "high places." No, His intention is for us to go up on the mountain top, revel in His glory, and take what we've learned and head directly into the storms or valleys in our lives. Wow, not only was God teaching me a spiritual lesson, but He also was showing me, physically showing me what it means to go from the mountain top experience to the storms of life. As Ike hit us in Houston, I sat and was at peace. I knew that NO wind that would come against me would destory me. It might spread chaos around me, but I was standing firm upon the rock!
I recently read "The Silence of Adam" and much of it focused on how God created man (men) to speak into the darkness, into the chaos. I believe its those close encounters with God that enable us to do so. Adam walked and talked with God...you can't get much more intimate than that.
So, I pray that you take from this an understanding that we are not meant to stay on that mountain (but its ok to live in the mountains :o) ) we are meant to take that experience and let the joy of the Lord overflow into all areas of our lives. We are meant to speak into the chaos. When the wind is crashing against you or you feel lost in the valley, remember your mountain top experience. Cling to the cross!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Day 6...
Well, I shuffled my flight around so I could get in town just before Ike hits. No telling how long I'd be delayed if I had waited till Saturday. I am sad to go, but today...today was one heck of a day! The first day I got here I wrote in my journal "The God of the universe wants to be intimate with me...wow. Lord show me your glory." Today that prayer was answered in the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen with the addition of a rainbow telling me "Justin...its ok...I love you."
So I would have to say that I got all the answers I came here for. God moved in me in a MIGHTY way. I am sad to go, but excited to take what I have learned and take this experience and put it to practice in my life.
Our God is a consuming fire!
So I would have to say that I got all the answers I came here for. God moved in me in a MIGHTY way. I am sad to go, but excited to take what I have learned and take this experience and put it to practice in my life.
Our God is a consuming fire!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Day 5 pictures...
Well, the storms have arrived...and are chasing everyone down from the mountains. So here are my day 5 pictures. Enjoy!
Day 5
So I slept in today. I was out late last night walking the streets of Estes with a nice Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte. Of course I didn't sleep...due to the caffeine and just a bunch of other stuff going through my head. I am about to go out and just get some good, fresh mountain air. I will have some pictures to show you and possibly some video. Anyway, things always get a little clearer when you head up...so up I am heading.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
3 days later...
So day 3 was a good day. I finally got the answers I have been looking for. Its funny how that happens. For me...I just needed to get above the clouds...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Day 2
I started the morning at 5:00am. Did a nice warm up hike of 4.5 miles and then spent the afternoon on Trail Ridge Road. Enjoy the pictures.
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